Fault Code Lookup › Powertrain codes › P090C
P090C Powertrain · generic range, no listed definition
P090C fault code: what 20 Ford owners reported
P090C sits in the generic powertrain range (engine, transmission, fuel and emissions), but its SAE definition is not in CarHooq's list, so this page shows only what owners reported. What it meant in practice is below, from 20 complaints owners filed with NHTSA. Updated November 9, 2026.
- 20owner reports
- 1car model
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention a fire
- 2012–2016model years
Which cars get code P090C?
Every model whose owners mentioned P090C in a complaint, most reports first. Each year opens that car's full problem report. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Where does P090C show up?
By brand
- Ford20
Component the owner filed it under
Is there a recall for P090C?
The others concern the component owners file this code under (Power Train) on the same cars; they may or may not relate to the code. Recall repairs are free; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Power Train: Manual Transmission Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
2015 Ford Focus, 2016 Ford Focus. Full risk and remedy on each car's report.
Power Train: Manual Transmission Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
2016 Ford Focus. Full risk and remedy on each car's report.
Power Train: Manual Transmission Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had…
2015 Ford Focus, 2016 Ford Focus. Full risk and remedy on each car's report.
What happened when owners saw P090C?
10 of the 20 reports, spread across the models above, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
…While Ford acknowledged this systemic DPS6 defect under Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, strict guidelines required an active diagnostic code (P090C) before approving a warranty replacement, preventing lower-mileage owners from receiving preventive service before the 10-year calendar cap expired. I was forced to pay 1,927.26 out-of-pocket for a replacement with an OEM part.
I own a 2014 Ford Focus Titanium with approximately 75,000 miles and the DPS6 automatic transmission. The transmission has developed a serious and recurring problem. The vehicle began violently jerking/shuddering while moving forward and suddenly would not go into reverse. A transmission warning light came on. After the battery was recharged, reverse temporarily returned, but the same transmission problems came back while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed with trouble code P090C:68, related to the clutch actuator system. Ford has known about recurring DPS6 transmission problems in these vehicles for years and has issued multiple technical service bulletins and customer programs addressing…
While driving at highway speed, the transmission slipped, skipping gears. Very difficult to drive care safely. Could not accelerate vehicle safely. Had to stay in right lane with hazard lights on. Basically, using only gears 1, 3 & 5. Later discovered intermittently no reverse. DTC P090C Clutch Actuator B - Circuit Low.
2015 Ford Focus with DPS6 automatic transmission failure. 109,### miles only. Symptoms: No reverse gear, severe clutch slip (high RPM but car barely moves), strong burnt clutch smell, check engine light on. DTC codes: P07A3, P07A5, P087A, P087B, P090C. Ford dealer (Camelback Ford, Phoenix AZ) diagnosed the issue but quoted $3,175 just for labor to open the transmission for inspection, refusing any goodwill assistance after 14M02 program expired in August 2025, despite low mileage and known widespread DPS6 problems covered by TSB 16-0129. Note : "November 20, 2025 – Date I purchased the vehicle. The transmission problem (no reverse, clutch slip, burnt smell) was present immediately upon…
1) power train system- P090C AND P090C-00 clutch b actuator circuit low causing transmission to slip. dangerous when driving 2) anti-lock brake system code U0401-00 and U3003-16
I recently purchased this car from a private seller. Within weeks, the vehicle began exhibiting serious transmission issues — including sudden loss of power, inability to shift correctly, and entering “limp mode”, which severely restricts speed and performance. I had the codes scanned and received P090C and P090C-00, which point to a transmission control module (TCM) or clutch actuator circuit failure — an issue widely known in these vehicles with the DPS6 PowerShift transmission. Ford previously issued a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP 14M01) for this exact TCM failure, but they have since ended the program (as of June 30, 2025), and they are refusing to cover the repair — even though my…
2015 Ford Focus - Car has less than 50k miles has 3 transmission codes showing: P07A5, P090C, and P07A5pd. Car will not go into reverse. Car has not been looked at by a technician yet. However, with less than 50K miles the fact that I am having transmission issues is unacceptable. Ford really needs to recall for these issues. After researching these codes that are showing, seems like there are thousands of people complaining about the same thing on different sites.
Bought this 2014 Ford Focus from a used dealership for my 16 year old daughter's 1st car. Within a week of owning the car noticed the car had a hesitation going from a stop sign intersection stop to pulling out would not pickup speed but has a forced hesitation before eventually gaining speed. My daughter was also at a intersection one day when the car slipped and jerked as a result in sudden or delayed vehicle acceleration nearly causing an accident. We have a engine light code that was showing as well during the first week of owning the car and it reads as: Transmission code P090C-00 Clutch B Actuator Control Circuit Low. The Actuator part was replaced and the car continues to have the…
While driving on city streets (25-35mph) with consistent pressure to gas pedal, the engine revved with RPMs spiking while the car slowed down. Check engine light came on. The car was taken to a local mechanic who cleared the check engine light but did not otherwise intervene--they said it was a transmission error code and referred me to a transmission specialist. The car drove normally again after that. Transmission shop gave me the error codes for transmission (P090C-00), Body Control Module (B10D7-81 & B10D7-94), Tire Pressure Monitor (B10D7-81 & B10D7-94) and OBDII Codes (P090C). This is the second time this has happened to this particular car.
…VALVE REPLACE AS WELL THEY SAID THAT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANT I BELIEVE A RECALL IS NECESSARY IN THIS SITUATION IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS OR THAT TO HAPPEN I HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED PRIOR TO IT GOING TO FORD AND THE CODE WAS P090C WHICH SAID THE CLUTCH B ACTUATOR CONTROL CIRCUIT LOW AND MY MILAGE IS ABOUT 72,000
P090C: questions drivers ask
What does code P090C mean?
P090C sits in the generic powertrain range (engine, transmission, fuel and emissions), but its SAE definition is not in CarHooq's list, so CarHooq shows only what owners reported. 20 owners reported it to NHTSA, most often for the Ford Focus (20); their reports describe what happened.
Which cars get code P090C most often?
In NHTSA owner complaints, P090C is mentioned most for the Ford Focus (20), across 1 model and model years 2012 to 2016. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Is there a recall for code P090C?
No NHTSA recall text names P090C directly. 3 recalls on the cars that report this code concern the same component owners name most (Power Train); they may or may not relate to the code. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should I do if my car shows P090C?
Write down when the code appeared and what the car did (warning lights, loss of power, noises, speed, weather). Check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls, ask a dealer or independent workshop to read the stored freeze-frame data before anyone clears the code, and keep the repair order. If the car loses power in traffic, stop driving it. CarHooq does not diagnose: these are owner reports and official recall notices, not repair advice.
How this page was made
CarHooq read the text of every owner complaint filed with NHTSA for 19 US and European brands (model years 2012 onwards) and picked out the diagnostic trouble codes owners wrote down. This page lists every mention of P090C. The code is in a generic range but its standard definition is not in CarHooq's list, so CarHooq shows only what owners reported. Nothing here is a diagnosis. More answers: the fault code FAQ. Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain), retrieved November 9, 2026. How CarHooq reports are made.
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